Means for discharging water from steam engine cylinders



C. A. CARDEW Feb. 2, 1937.

2,069,645 MEANS FOR DISCHARGING WATER FROM STEAM ENGINE CYLINDERS Filed April 17, 1955 Patented Feb. 2, 1937 MEANS FoR DIS-CHARGING WATER FROM STEAM ENGINE CYLINDERS Cornelius Ambrose Gardew, Wahroonga, near Sydney, Australia Application April 17, 1935, Serial No. 16,898 In Australia April 21, 1934 1 Claim.

This invention relates to means for discharging water from steam engine cylinders and. is particularly concerned with relief devices adapted for use on locomotive engine cylinders.

It is normal practice to provide spring loaded relief valves on the end of cylinders for dealing with accumulations of water and these valves have been adjusted for blowing off at a predetermined pressure a little above boiler pressure. Nevertheless, it is a well-known fact that when steam condenses and water collects in an engine cylinder, a dangerous pressure, even several times that of boiler pressure, may suddenly develop and cause serious damage tothe cylinders or their covers. Thus, in spite of the presence of relief valves on the cylinders the damage referred to has not been avoided, and special tests have shown that although the valves are in good working order, and properly set, the blow from the water seems to be so rapid that often a pressure of 1000 lb. per square inch can be registered in the cylinders without the valves opening. Even when they do open it has been found that they only discharge such a small quantity of water in the very short time that they remain open (probably for a small fraction of a second), that a very severe pounding is experienced by the piston when it returns on the next stroke.

An important object of the present invention is to provide means whereby adverse effects due to accumulation of water in steam engine cylinders can be effectively overcome.

A further object is to provide means capable of operation to avoid deleterious accumulation of H water in steam engine cylinders.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby reliable opening of relief valves may be obtained under all normal conditions of operation.

A further object is to enable these relief valves to pass relatively large quantities of water so that accumulation may be effectively and expeditiously disposed of with consequent improvement in the operation of the engine pistons.

With these and other objects in View, this invention provides discharge means which is adapted for operation by steam acting upon an accumulation of water, and for giving a prolonged discharge under the conditions thus set up. Thus, the device is not merely responsive to hydraulic pressure arising when the clearance space becomes filled with water, as in the case of. the ordinary relief valve, but is adapted for enabling steam to effect discharge of water before the clearance space is so filled thereby entirely preventing dangerous conditions from arising. One feature of the invention is the mounting of the relief valve, piston or like device at the head of a column connected to the lowest part of an engine cylinder. By this means, steam on ad mission to the cylinder, causes any accumulated water to be projected up the column, the combined momentum and pressure bringing about a prolonged opening of the relief device which permits escape of all water. Another feature of the invention is the formation of a throat in the column, by the reversed cones of a Venturi device, which operates for producing a relief opene ing adequate for the complete discharge of the water. Another feature of the invention is the provision at the head of the column of a relief valve of the so-called pop variety, the initial opening of this valve effecting the exposure to the pressure of an enlarged ram area which ensures the'prolonged opening of the valve until all water has been discharged by the steam.

In order to enable the invention to be readily understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawing illustrating examples of constructions embodying these improvements, in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view partly in vertical section of an improved relief valve embodying a shut-down or stop device.

Figure 2 is partly an elevation and partly a vertical section of a slightly modified construction in which the shut down or stop device is not present.

Figure 3 is a more or less diagrammatic view illustrating the mounting of an improved relief valve at the head of a tubular column connected with the lowest part of a steam cylinder end in accordance with these improvements.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the relief valve device comprises a shallow cylindrical box or casing a having a tubular extension or spigot b depending centrally from its bottom and a tubular extension 11 rising from its top or cover 0.

As shown in Figure 3, the relief valve device is connected by its lower extension or spigot b with the head of a. tubular column or vertical pipe e, the foot of the latter being connected with I the lowest partof the end of a steam cylinder 1. Advantageous practical results are attainable with a pipe of one inch bore and of two or three feet in length but other suitable dimensions may, of course, be employed.

Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, within the box a a relatively large piston g is vertically slidable and carries on its underside a valve h adapted for seating in the mouth of the spigot 17-. On its upper surface, the piston g is formed with a central boss 7' and this latter serves for centering a loading spring is. In Figure l, the loading of this spring is is adjustable by means of a hollow adjusting screw l which works in the screw threaded orifice m of the tubular extension at of the cover and presses upon a ring n on the top of the spring k. This screw 1 has a lock nut 0 which screws down upon the tubular extension d said' adjusting screw 1. Thisshut down screw,.

which may be fitted with a lock nut q, maybe I screwed down so as to press upon the boss'j of the piston g to prevent the latter andits valve hf Q from rising, when it is desired to put the-relief device out of action. Any tampering with the adjustment of the spring loading canbe prevented by fitting a cylindrical cap ron to the upper tu bular extension d, so that this cap rencloses the adjusting screw 1 and its lock nut o. The cap 1- 'may be secured by grub screws 5 which ,can'b'e sealedas by passingawirering t through perforations ;in the heads. 5 of the screwsandsealing the endsof the ring 1. by a seal n. A small steam ventv may be forrned in the bottom of hebox a an ot e v nts. in may b .formed in the cover'ofith'e box a.- ;A relatively large numr; ber of water discharge portsai are formed around f the cylindrical wall of the box a and these ports 7 o en into a e m ML P Cew nisi clo ed bathe p on awh nl t elatt is i i s normal lowered positionwith its. valve h seated. s .ji'he lower tubular extensionor spigot b is exte a' lyr w re ed f r nablinathe relief valye device to be united by suitable'screw coupling means with the tubular columnor vertical pipe e hereinbeiiore. referredto. The interior of thespigot bis forrnedwith reversely coned surfacesmeetingatapoint of constriction or throat a in the boreoi the spigotlx, 7 H V v j The construction'illustrated. in Figure.2is very similar to that described with referenceto. Fig.-

Howevergin Figure ,2 a solid adjusting screw l is used. for. altering the spring loading and the shut-down screwp of Figure l is dis: pensed vvitln In'lieu thereof, a shut downpvalve I ma befi d on t e p pe .e,. F u e 3., neat-the. cylinders In Figure '2, the rounded lower end of the screw 1 rests upon a cap n on the .topoi the. spring In .Figure ,2, the vents. v and w ofFigure 1 are omitted. However, ventssuch asv for permitting o f drainage andvents suchfas w, f r prev t aflu d. p ssur arisin on upper. surface of the pistQnLQQ i-Iay be provided. .Also,

" in Eigure2, pipecoupling'means. 2, are shownon the lower end of the, spigot b and rather more, pronounced conical. surfaces are shown meeting at thethroat t t Whenthe engine is working normally, no,water 'being. present, the plain steam pressure, coming into the pipe 6 and spigot 12 at every admission, fails to open the relief valve h because the loading of the latter is adjusted ior. resisting a pressure of, say, twenty. pounds above boiler pressure. Whenwater comes over in small quantities, however a partial filling of the clearance space in the cylinder ends will occur. For instance, a

superheateryand more especially a locomotive superheater, sometimes will deliver water, owing to condensation ofsteam therein during previous cooling down or'during heating up when steam As soon asthe accumulation is sufficient, the next admission of steamiorce's the water ina column up the short lengthof pipe e, the suddenpressure of thesteam on the water'lmpelling itiup the rpipeiwith considerable velocity. The jet of water' 0 reachesthe valve 21. through the throat z or Ven-,

turidevice and *here water traverses a small bore andemerges into a diverging cone, producing well-understood effects which result in an efiective lift of the valve h and piston 9. Any steam from the water column, but in doing so it will be'compressed to a high pressure. and this mo- T mentaryexcess of pressure lopensthe valve, ,The initial opening of the valveexposes the iull area of thepiston g to the pressure, sothat the valve'lri is" opened still iurthergand is, maintained open against the loading orthe springk. V Thepiston g has now uncovered annular space y so that the water accumulation is completelyejec-tedthrough piston, orthe greater part thereof 'The valve h will reseat itself only when the pressure beneath it and the piston areais ,sufllcientlytreleased for permitting the loading spring k to eiiect closure.

Qwing,,however, to the use once enlarged area presented by the piston, closure can be permitted to take place at a pressureof only twenty pounds to the square inch, which is sufiicient to allow for Qk 73559 n. l d l The relief valvemay be rei'erredto as a double area pop-off valve asit comprises a central area .whichis initially subjected to pressure and an area beneath thepiston g whichis subjectedto pressure on initial opening of the tape;

7 With the relief, device hereinbefore described, tests have proved that with" asteain pressure oi only forty pounds in the cylinder, the presence of water willcause the'reliei' valve h'to be lifted, even although the loading of the spring is of that valve has been. adjusted to resist a plain steam pressure of one hundred and ninety pounds per square inch. When a locomotive is coastingor is 'bein'gtowedfb y another locomotive, there will be no steam ejection of any' accumulation of water, but the latter will bedischarged as with an ordinary relief valve. Experience has taught, however that most ofithe damage is done when alocomotive is moving under its own power and 7 this isentirely prevented by means constructed and arranged'i'n accordance with this invention.

Eachnd of a cylinder maybe fitted with its own respective column or duct andj'relief valve device. I

I him -L' .7 V.

Y Means for discharging water from asteam engine cylinder, comprising a double area pop-ofi valve dis posed in an elevated position with respect to thelowermost part of the engine cylinder, a

pipe connected between said valve and said lower most part of the cylinder and rising upwardly to providela column between said cylinder and valve, and-a Venturi throat iormed by opposed conical flares in said column adjacent to and before the valve.

CORNELIUS AMBROSE CARDEW. 

